Saginaw Spirit sign Notre Dame commit Matthew Jovanovic

Players race around the rink during the Saginaw Spirit home opener against the Flint Firebirds at the Dow Event Center on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019.
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The Saginaw Spirit signed one of their top draft picks from 2020, luring defenseman Matthew Jovanovic away from the United States Hockey League and Notre Dame.

The Spirit took Jovanovic in the second round, 31st overall, in the 2020 draft. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Toronto, Ontario native verbally committed to play for Notre Dame and played 12 games during the 2020-21 season for Des Moines in the USHL.

“The way he can skate and transport pucks with his elite hockey brain and his elite skating ability, we believe he fits perfectly into our style of play and the type of defenseman we’re looking for,” Spirit general manager Dave Drinkill said in a press release. “We believe that Matthew has a very high ceiling and a chance to be a top player in our league, as well as a coveted prospect in his NHL draft year.”

Jovanovic, who will wear No. 9, is eligible for the 2023 NHL draft.

Jovanovic was selected by the Spirit in the second round, 31st overall in the 2020 OHL Under-17 Priority Selection Draft. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound 16-year-old from Toronto, Ontario appeared in 12 games during the 2020-21 season for Des Moines in the United States Hockey League. He is eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft.

Jovanovic, 16, played for the Toronto Marlboros U16 team in 2019-20 with nine assists in 21 games. In four playoff games for the Marlboros, Jovanovic had a goal and two assists.

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